Peter Robinson's Official Website Apologies to all for being late with this. Sometimes events just get ahead of my ability to list them! Saturday, October 15 – Lunchtime event with the Whistler Wrters Festival, 1pm. Whistler, British Columbia. Tuesday, October 18 – Grand Opening, with Andre Alexis, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Anne Y.K. Choi, Emma Donghue and Francesca Melandri. 8pm Performance Works, Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia. Thursday, October 20 – “A Good Way to Get Yourself Killed,” with Michael Koryta and Sam Wiebe. 6pm Revue Sage, Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia. Friday, October 21 – Onstage interview with Wayne Arthurson. 7pm. St Albert, Alberta. Sunday, October 23 – Reading/Round Table – “Vice: The Art of Crime Writing,” with Lotte Hammer Jakobson, Alexander Maksik and Ben Sanders. 1.30pm. International Festival of Authors, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario. Saturday, October 29 – Reading/Round Table – “Lived-in Stories.” with Deborah Campbell and Kevin Patterson.

5pm. IFOA, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario. Sunday, October 30 – Onstage Interview – with Linwood Barclay and host Andrew Pyper, interviewed by Deborah Dundas. 4.30pm. IFOA, Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario. Posted on October 14, 2016 by admin DCI Banks, the Books, and the TV Series There have been a number of questions recently regarding differences between the characters of the DCI Banks novels and the TV adaptations. I have come to think of the Banks books and the TV series as parallel universes, rather like those in the TV series Fringe. (If you haven’t seen it, check it out. It’s well worth watching.) The characters are clearly meant to be different versions of the same person; they look different, have different personalities and meet different fates in different worlds. I have no power in the TV universe, where I am a mere observer, but I like to think of myself as the custodian of the universe of the books.

In that universe, I can assure you, all the characters you have come to know and (I hope) love continue to be hale and hearty and as human and flawed as ever – in When the Music’s Over, its 2017 successor Sleeping in the Ground and, I hope, in many more books to come. Posted on September 30, 2016 by admin Peter Robinson in Conversation with Camilla Läckberg Peter recently recorded a podcast with Swedish author Camilla Läckberg, where they discuss when they first met, having Joyce Carol Oates as your tutor, and being disqualified in the Eurovision Song Contest. Listen to the Speaking of Stories podcast . Note that while the introduction is in Swedish, the rest of the interview is in English. Posted on September 2, 2016 by admin New Book, Swedish Festival, and Other News As I write, When the Music’s Over has been on the UK bestseller list for six weeks now, having spent one week at #1 and a week at #2. It has also made #83 on the USA Today chart, which isn’t as bad as it sounds because that list includes everything—all formats and all genres—from cookbooks to ebooks.

I have just got back from the Crimetime Festival in Visby, which is a beautiful medieval town on the island of Gotland, off the coast of Sweden. I was International Guest of Honour among a host of primarily Scandinavian authors. Sharon Bolton and Elizabeth Hand were the only other English language authors present, though everyone I met spoke perfect English. The festival was excellent, and we were very well treated, though I must say they worked me hard, often with three or four events and interviews a day. I had events with Håkan Nesser, Arne Dahl, Camilla Läckberg, Sharon Bolton, Denise Rydberg and Viveca Sten, and had the honour of congratulating Maj Sjöwall on stage after she received her award (see photo). I also met many other writers, some I have read and others I will read. The wonderful Kerstin Wixe interviewed me on stage, and champagne flowed at the book launch with Ninni Schulman. My thanks to everyone involved in the organisation, especially Carina Nunstedt, the chief! The evenings were always spent in entertaining company with good food and good wine.

I was also thrilled to discover from my publishers, Forum, that When the Music’s Over (or När Musiken Tystnar) received a first hardcover printing of 20,00 copies, and my translated books in all formats have sold over three million copies in Sweden. Peter with Maj Sjöwall. After a couple of days relaxing and sightseeing in Stockholm, it was back to work again, but what pleasant work it was—an evening event on 25 August at White Rose Books in Thirsk. It was a miserable night weather-wise, but plenty of people turned out, and I think a good time was had by all. Many thanks to Caroline and Sue and all who work there. I met up with an old school friend, and Derek Shelmerdine kindly gave me a copy of his magisterial, encyclopaedic book Rock n’Roll Unravelled. I can see already that it will lead to a huge expansion of my CD collection. I have a few more events before I head over the pond for the Canadian national tour.

There’s an event at Topping & Co in St Andrews at 8pm on 9 September, then an event with Mark Billingham at Bloody Scotland, in Stirling. That’s 12:15pm on the 10th at the Alberts Hall. Finally, I have a reading/signing at Castle Hill Books in Richmond, North Yorkshire, on 17 September at 5pm. And don’t forget to tune in to ITV at 9pm on Wednesday, 31 August for the first episode of series five of DCI Banks. Posted on August 27, 2016 by admin August News from Peter Robinson The book tour is over for now, and I would like to thank everyone who came out to the events, especially in the unusually hot weather. And a special thank you to the bookshop staff who organised and hosted the events. Something must have worked, because this week When the Music’s Over is #1 on the official BookScan bestseller list, as published in the Sunday Times and other newspapers. Thanks to everyone who bought it, the booksellers who sold it and the team at Hodder & Stoughton who put untold hours into the preparation and promotion of the book.

Now it’s time to look forward to the U.S. edition, to be published by William Morrow on 9th August. And this time it has the same title as the U.K. edition! (Buy from Amazon UK , Amazon.com ) Posted on August 1, 2016 by admin Inspector Banks - Book Series In Order Publication Order of Inspector Banks Short Stories Going Back Hardcover Paperback Kindle Inspector Banks Biography: The fictional central character, Inspector Alan Banks, better known as Inspector Banks is a detective chief. He is the protagonist of a series of novels based on crime. Peter Robinson, the much popular and acclaimed writer created the character, who later became very famous. The series still remains one of the finest till date. The crime series was later adapted to television under the title DCI Banks, wherein Stephen Tompkinson played the role of the protagonist, Alan Banks. Inspector Alan Banks first came into the picture when the novel was published in the year 1987. The novel carried a blurb that gave the background of the character, Alan Banks. As mentioned, he once lived in London. He worked as a member of the Metropolitan Police in the Unsolved Crime Squad.

The blurb further mentioned that the Detective Banks then lived in Eastvale, the imaginary English Town situated in Yorkshire, north to Ripon, next to the A1. Alan Banks are blessed with two kids, Tracy as well as Brian. He has a loving wife by the name of Sandra. He works as the DCI or the Director of Central Intelligence for the Eastvale Police ever since he moved there. As described, the detective has an own tiny office, complete with the metal desk and a couple of chairs. The window in the office opens up to the view of the town’s Market Square, which remains quite busy. Inspector Banks belong to the working class and just like most of them coming from that class, he hates getting things done with the clout of money or wealth. This remains to be the main driving force that persuaded him to move to Eastvale from London. His major objective was to remain away from the materialism that is present in the big cities. His moving away proved to be good for him as he succeeded in nurturing his family with due respect in a country like setting. Detective Banks have a different yet fine taste in music. His pleasing personality helps him in relating with the suspects in the cases he is involved in.

He even gets along well with the victims of the crime. The main strength of Detective Banks is his creativity that he uses appropriately. His innovative style of interrogations helps him in his investigations. Although he is amiable, he can become quite tough when he wants the answers quickly. The majority of the novels in the series had Inspector Banks investigating the crimes. However, in the year 1999, the novel titled ‘In a Dry Season’ the story focused on the divorce of Alan Banks with his wife. His married life with Sandra, his wife, had started growing apart. His children, Tracy and Brian, had already flown the nest. Post this novel, the subject of the crime series based on Detective Alan Banks changed slightly with a sub focus. DS Annie Cabbot became the love interest of Alan Banks and the subsequent novels mentioned their romance. Cabbot had first appeared in the series where Detective Banks underwent a divorce with his wife. Cabbot appeared to investigate the member of the team of the Detective, who is charged with manslaughter. Later in the novels, Cabbot becomes a regular as she becomes the member of his team. Even Since, the duo, Banks and Cabbot share on and off love relationship.

In his series of novels, Peter Robinson describes Inspector Banks as the dedicated man who is also paid thinker. Detective Banks are considered to be a compelling character, which gets evolved with time in the continuing novels. The series created by Robinson has even won a number of prestigious awards and nominated for many others. The Arthur Ellis Award, the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award are some of the awards conferred on the series in a crime fiction category. The series was so interesting that in the year 2010, the ITV adapted it to television. The first in the series was ‘Aftermath’ where Stephen Tompkinson plays the leading character of Detective Banks. The first adaptation was broadcast as two episodes, each an hour long. The first episode was premiered on September 27 and the second on October 4. The show was an instant hit. It was later continued by making three additional adaptations of different novels. The series of the adaptations was titled as DCI Banks. This series had six episodes, each an hour long. DCI Banks began airing on television from September 16 onwards in the year 2011. The first novel by Peter Robinson is also the first novel where Detective Inspector Alan Banks are introduced.

Titled as ‘Gallows View’, the novel was published in the year 1987. It was even shortlisted for the award of the best first novel in Canada in addition to John Creasey Award of the United Kingdom. The entire series of Inspector Banks has proved to be very popular. The series has extended to thirteen novels at present. The setting of most of the novels in the series is Richmond as well as the Yorkshire Dales. Richmond is actually titled as ‘Eastvale’ in the series. However, Eastvale is slightly larger than Richmond and is inflicted with more crime that Richmond. The Dale is a creation of the author. He wanted to add all his most loved places from Wensleydale, Swaledale, Whafedale into the series including Reeth, Gayle as well as Hawes. The locations used in the series are at times real and other times created. However, all the places, fictional and actual co-exist in the series. Author Peter Robinson even won the award by the Crime Writers Association. He was credited for giving the most pleasure to his readers with the series of Inspector Banks novels, which were getting gritty, dark and popular with every release.

Inspector Alan Banks, the protagonist are the maverick, as they used to be in traditional times. Alan Banks is a genuine detective who is passionate towards solving cases. His objective to hunt the criminals and do justice by solving crime cases take him on tough journeys. He is not afraid of taking dark and dangerous paths for solving the crimes and doing justice. Inspector Alan Banks remain one of the most popular characters on a mission, which ultimately benefits humanity by bringing an end to crime. Even though based in Eastvale, people can easily relate to the novels and the settings of crime scenes.

Peter Robinson Peter Robinson Finalist 1987 New Blood Dagger Award Finalist 1988 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel Finalist 1995 Edgar Award for Best Mystery Finalist 1993 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel Finalist 1996 Hammett Prize 2000 Anthony Award for Best Mystery 2000 Barry Award for Best Novel Finalist 2000 Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel Finalist 2000 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel Finalist 1999 Hammett Prize APA: The Summer that Never Was (2003) Finalist 2004 Anthony Award for Best Mystery Finalist 2004 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel Finalist 2005 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel Finalist 2004 Hammett Prize Peter Robinson - Book Series In Order Hardcover Paperback Kindle Peter Robinson is a prolific mystery thriller write who lives in Canada, but writes about characters in his homeland of England. Although the author of several short stories, novels, poems, and essays, Robinson is best known for his Inspector Alan Banks series.

This creative string of novels has been adapted into several riveting television shows, and has been translated into over fifteen (15) different languages. Early Life Peter Robinson was born in Britain on March 17, 1950 in Armley, Leeds. Like many great British authors before him, robinson attended the prestigious University of Leeds. Here he received his bachelors of art in English Literature. After college, he emigrated to Canada in 1974, where he attended the prestigious University of Windsor. There he attained a master’s degree in Creative Writing and English and was fortunate enough to have writer, Joyce Carol Oates has his mentor. After graduation, Robinson headed to Toronto and received from York University his PhD in English. He served as a professor in multiple colleges in Toronto and served as a Writer-in-Residence for the University-of-Windsor from the year 1992 to 1993. Although a successful author, Robinson still occasionally teaches crime-writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. Peter Robinson’s Career Peter Robinson is most known for his Inspector Banks series, set in Yorkshire town of Eastvale.

His very first-novel, Gallows-View premiered in the year 1987, and introduced the world to Detective-Chief-Inspector-Alan Banks. The novel was a hit, and was one of the nominees for the John-Creasey-Award in the United Kingdom. It has also been nominated as best first-novel award for the Crime-Writers-of-Canada. A Dedicated Man written in the year 1988 was the next novel in the series and is also nominated for the Crime-Writers-of-Canada award. The next two Inspector Banks novels both received critical acclaim and star rankings in Publishers-Weekly in the United States. The fourth novel in the series, The Hanging Valley, was one of the nominees for an Arthur. Peter Robinson’s fifth novel, Past-Reason-Hated, won the Arthur-Ellis Award in the Best Novel category in 1992. The sixth book, Wednesday’s Child, was nominated for the Edgar Award, and Final Account (the seventh novel) won an Author’s Award in 1994.

Innocent Graves (1996) was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the best-mysteries of 1996, and was called the “page-turner of the week” by People Magazine. The tenth novel, In-a-Dry-Season, won the Anthony-and-Barry awards for best-novel. In the year 2001, it won the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere award of France, along with Sweden’s Martin-Beck-Award. Cold-is-the-Grave, marked a turning point in Robinson’s career. The eleventh novel in the series not only won the Arthur-Ellis Award, it has been nominated for the L.A. Times Book Award. The twelfth book, Aftermath which was published in the year 2002, ranked in the top ten of the bestsellers lists in both the United Kingdom and Canada. It then moved to number one. Though Peter Robinson is known for his fantastic serial writing, Robinson was also able to published numerous short stories. His short story, “Innocence”, published in the year 1991 won the CWC-Best Short Story Award.

In April 1997, Robinson’s “The Two-Ladies of Rose-Cottage,” appeared in Malice-Domestic-6, and was edited by Anne-Perry. It also garnered the Macavity-Award. In the year 1998, Peter Robinson published his first-collection of short-stories, Not-Safe-After-Dark and Other Stories. The nineteenth (19th) Inspector-Banks-novel, All the Colous of the Darkness, appeared in Canada in October of 2008, in the United Kingdom in August of 2008, and in the United States in February of 2009. In 2006, Peter Robinson was invited to be a part of the elite organization, The Detection Club in the year 2006. Robinson now spends his days teaching and living in Toronto, Richmond, and North Yorkshire. The Inspector Banks Series The series is set in the fictional town of Eastvale in Yorkshire, England. Alan Banks is a former member of the London Metro Police. Detective Inspector Alan Banks leaves London for a more peaceful existence in the Dales.

Most of the first twelve (12) novels of the Inspector-Banks-series revolves around crime investigation conducted by Banks. In the year 1999, Robinson shocked fans with novel, In-a-Dry-Season that focused on the Inspector’s divorce from his wife Sandra, once their children leave the family home. Later novels in the Inspector-Banks-series focus on his romance with Detective Sergeant Annie Cabbot. Her first appearance is in the same novel where Inspector-Banks and hi- wife get divorced. She meets him while investigating an accusation of murder by someone in Banks’ team. She later joins his team and the two have an off and on relationship. Gallows View Readers are introduced to Inspector Alan Banks. Fresh from the London Metropolitan Police force, DCI Banks investigates a series of incidences in the small town of Eastvale including: a peeping tom, and a possible murder of an elderly woman. In addition to this, Banks has to wrestle with his attraction to young-psychologist, Jenny-Fuller. As tensions mount, the cases come closer and closer to Banks’ family. A Dedicated Man The second novel in the Inspector-Banks-series finds Banks investigating the death of a beloved local historian found buried in a wall.

He has several suspects, all of whom have their own reasons for wanting the thoughtful historian dead. Meanwhile a young girl, Sally Lumb, is in grave danger because she knows more than what she claims. Television Adaptations ITV commissioned the television rights of the novel Aftermath in July of the year 2010. Playing Inspector Banks was the British actor Stephen Tompkinson. On September 27 and October 4 of 2010, the adaptation aired as a two part series. The ratings were very high. As a result, ITV commissioned three more novels: Playing With Fire, Cold-is-the-Grave, and Friend-of-the-Devil. ITV chose to air the three novels as a group of six one hour episodes. The episodes began airing on September 16, 2011. Peter Robinson is a prolific writer, whose mystery novels have shocked and thrilled reader for decades. Though a Canadian, Robinson is schooled in the English tradition of creative writing. His vivid descriptions, lively characters, and intricate storylines, have made his works a permanent fixture of the English, Canadian, and American literary world. The character of Inspector Banks will be a contribution to the mystery genre for all time.

Peter Robinson's Official Website Crime writer Ruth Rendell passed away over the weekend, and Peter Robinson has an article in The Globe and Mail, about her work. Peter that Ruth Rendell gave us some of the finest crime novels of all time. “When Ruth Rendell died on Saturday, May 2, it meant that we had we lost two of our finest crime writers in less than six months. Ruth and P.D. James, who died last November, were good friends, though they sat on opposite sides of the House of Lords. Both had started publishing crime fiction in the early sixties, and both had tremendous influence on the next generation. Without them, crime writing today would not be as vibrant, as exciting or as relevant as it is.” Peter Robinson on Tour for the New Inspector Banks Novel Abattoir Blues The 22nd Inspector Banks novel, Abattoir Blues, will be released soon, and Peter is going on tour to meet readers and sign copies of the book. Taking the title from the Nick Cave album, this sophisticated thriller, featuring DCI Alan Banks, follows the success of No.1 best-seller Children of the Revolution, which shot to the top of the UK charts earlier this year.

When two boys vanish under mysterious circumstances, the local community is filled with unease. Then a bloodstain is discovered in a disused World War Two hangar nearby, and a caravan belonging to one of the youths is burned to the ground. Things quickly become much more sinister. Assigned to the case, DCI Banks and his team are baffled by the mystery laid out before them. But when a motor accident throws up a gruesome discovery, the investigation spins into a higher gear – in another direction. As Banks and his team struggle desperately to find the missing boy who holds the key to the puzzle, they find themselves in a race against time where it’s their turn to become the prey… Peter will be appearing at a number of bookshops and festival events around the country and talking to fans of the hugely popular novels, which have been adapted for television, starring Stephen Tompkinson as DCI Banks. The following dates and venues are confirmed; others may be added, so check back later.

Tuesday 29 July 2014 Waterstones, Northallerton: Book signing, 1pm For more information: 01609 761987 Waterstones, York: Talk: Q&A and book signing, 7pm For more information: 01904620784 WHSmith, Richmond, Yorkshire: Signing, 11am For more information: 01748 850966 Saturday 2 August Waterstones, Darlington: Book signing, 1pm For more information: 01325 465666 Tuesday 5 August Waterstones, Newcastle: Book signing, 12.30pm For more information: 0191 261 7757 Waterstones, Durham: Book signing, 4pm For more information: 0191 383 1488 White Rose, Thirsk: Talk, Q&A and book signing, 7.30pm For more information: 01845 524353 Wednesday 6 August Hoppers, Malton: Book signing, 11am

 For more information: 01653 692014 Waterstones, Wakefield: Book signing, 1.30pm For more information: 01924 363535 Thursday 7 August Waterstones, Trafford Centre Manchester: Book signing, 2pm For more information: 0161 749 8623 Waterstones, Deansgate, Manchester: Talk, Q&A and signing, 7pm For more information: 0843 290 8485 Tuesday 12 August Knaresborough Library, Knaresborough: Book signing, 7pm For more information: 0845 300 5112 Thursday 14 August Waterstones, Grimsby: Book signing, 12pm For more information: 01472 353212 Waterstones, Doncaster: Book signing, 3pm For more information: 01302 329142 Waterstones, Derby: Talk, Q&A and book signing, 7pm For more information: 01332 296

997 Friday 15 August WHSmith, Milton Keynes: Book signing, 12.30pm For more information: 01908 606778 Thursday 21 August Edinburgh International Festival, Scottish Power Foundation Studio Theatre, 8.30pm For more information: 0845 373 5888 Friday 22 August Waterstones, Newton Mearns: Book signing, 1pm For more information: 0141 616 3933 Waterstones, East Kilbride: Book signing, 3pm For more information: 01355 271835 Tuesday 16 September Leeds Central Library: Talk, Q&A and book signing, 6.30pm For more information: 0113 247 6016 Saturday 20 September Book review: Peter Robinson's *In the Dark Places: An Inspector Banks Novel* In the Dark Places .

Thereï¿½s a reason police procedurals are an enduring source of entertainment, especially Peter Robinsonï¿½s Detective Chief Inspector Banks series. The author pays particular attention to character development as well as thorough investigation of criminal activities. Minute fragments of information are connected in service of linking seemingly coincidental events into an emerging pattern and arrest, in this case a mystery constructed from the randomness of a stolen tractor, a pool of human blood discovered in a deserted World War II hangar, and eventually forensic examination of rural abattoirs (a particularly heinous addition). Familiar characters return to tackle another set of circumstances, Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, Detective Inspector Winsome Jackson, Detective Constable Dougal Wilson, etc., following up on the particulars of their assignments to build a cohesive case. The complicated threads of disparate facts weave together in a puzzle only the discerning eye of DCI Banks and his crew can solve--with a little outside assistance.

From the rundown council estates in Eastvale to a remote Yorkshire farm where a tractor disappeared, from police headquarters to the wild North Yorkshire moors, the author inhabits places as precisely as characters, the local attitudes, class distinctions and dysfunctional families that contribute to the final solution, the drama accompanied by the subtle strains of mood-setting music, memorable tunes of days gone by. The vague, painstakingly obscured connections of criminal enterprises, meaningless on their own, are linked tedious detail by tedious detail, detectives adapting their bossï¿½s long view in solving crimes. Consistency and attention to detail facilitate a satisfying experience for armchair voyeurs (whether devoted fans of the Banks series or first-time readers), questions inevitably answered by detectives trained to let no detail go unexamined, no motive discounted. Certainly there is menace and mayhem, even murder--a bloody accident spreading animal carnage all over a country road, the overwhelming odor of an abattoir, and the savage death of a small-time crook, to name a few--all organically woven into a mystery rife with distractions and odd bedfellows.

Moody, sophisticated and addictive, Peter Robinson Biography - life, family, story, wife, school, young, son, book, old, born - Newsmakers Cumulation Peter Robinson Biography Peter Robinson Biography Author Born March 17, 1950, in Castleford, Yorkshire, England; son of Clifford Robinson (a photographer) and Miriam Jarvis (a homemaker); married Sheila Halladay (an attorney). Education : University of Leeds, B.A. (with honors), 1974; University of Windsor, M.A., 1975; York University, Ontario, Canada, Ph.D., 1983. Addresses: Agent —Dominick Abel, 146 W. 82nd St., #1B, New York, NY 10024. Home —Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Career Writing instructor, University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; teacher of college writing and literature classes, 1983–; published first novel, Gallows View , 1987; writer-in-residence, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, 1992–93.

Member: International Association of Crime Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, Crime Writers' Association, Mystery Writers of America. Awards: Arthur Ellis Award for best short story, for "Innocence," 1990; Arthur Ellis Award for best novel, for The Hanging Valley , 1990; Arthur Ellis Award for best novel, for Past Reason Hated , 1992; Torgi award for best talking book, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, for Past Reason Hated , 1994; Author's Award, Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters, for Final Account , 1995; Arthur Ellis Award for best novel, for Innocent Graves , c.

1996; Macavity Award, for "The Two Ladies of Rose Cottage," 1998; Anthony Award for In a Dry Season , 1999; Barry Award for In a Dry Season , 2001; Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere for In a Dry Season , 2001; Martin Beck Award for In a Dry Season , 2001; Arthur Ellis Award for best short story, for "Murder in Utopia," 2001; Edgar Award for best short story, Mystery Writers of America, for "Missing in Action," 2001; Dagger in the Library Award, Crime Writers of America, 2002; Arthur Ellis Award for best novel, for Cold in the Grave , c. 2000. Sidelights British-born novelist Peter Robinson is the creator of the Inspector Alan Banks crime novels, based on the travails of a quirky English law-enforcement officer. Robinson, who lives in Canada, began his series in 1987 with Gallows View .

"His work is most often spoken of and reviewed in relation to that of prominent British crime writers, such as Reginald Hill and Ian Rankin," J. Kingston Pierce wrote in January magazine. Robinson's work has proven popular in Canada and the United States. Banks, the central character, solves crimes in Robinson's native Yorkshire county. Banks is as complex as Robinson's plots. Just when readers think they have figured out a storyline, "Robinson jumps in with a jaw-dropping—and usually credible—twist," Arion Berger wrote in People . Robinson was born in Castleford, Yorkshire, the son of photographer Clifford Robinson and homemaker Miriam Jarvis. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree with honors in English literature from the University of Leeds in 1974; he moved to Canada and earned his master's degree in English and creative writing at the University of Windsor in Ontario. There, he studied under American author Joyce Carol Oates before Oates moved to Princeton. Oates had rejected Robinson's application into her creative writing program, but later attended a poetry reading and enjoyed his work.

Asked why he was not in her program, Robinson replied, according to January , "Well, I applied for it, but you turned me down." Oates then agreed to include Robinson in her program; he later served as a writer-in-residence at the university. Robinson said Oates, while guiding him, still left him up to his own initiative. "You really can't teach anyone to write," Robinson told Pierce. "You can only give them a few nuts and bolts, and beyond that, they have to grub their own way along." After studying at Windsor, Robinson returned to England, but had trouble finding a teaching job. He blamed Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who took office in 1979, for budget cuts. He flew back to Canada and enrolled in a Ph.D. program at York University in Toronto. He enjoyed the region and teaching jobs were available, so he stayed. Robinson began writing poetry, and published some works. As an English literature major, he had shunned crime fiction. But Robinson took to the genre one summer, reading his father's Raymond Chandler volumes, as well as Maigret stories by Georges Simeon.

Other works by authors such as Agatha Christie, Ross Macdonald, and Dashiel Hammett helped enhance the itch. The budding author struggled at first. "I wrote three novels that should probably be burned, about an eternal student/private eye—they were terrible," Robinson told January 's Pierce. "But then I hit on Banks." Gallows View and A Dedicated Man caught the eyes of a Toronto-based Penguin Books editor. Gallows View was published in 1987 while Robinson was still preparing for his doctoral dissertation. Detective chief inspector Banks, in the twilight of his career, had relocated to Yorkshire from London and found his job there much tougher than expected. He had to investigate burglaries, a peeping tom, and possibly a murder in the countryside. Gallows View was on the short list for the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) Award for best first novel and for the John Creasey Award in the United Kingdom. In A Dedicated Man , which also made the short list for the CWC Writers Award, Banks investigates the death of a university professor who had proclaimed a field a historic site. Suspects include the professor's wife, a possible mistress, and a businessman who wanted to develop the field.

Banks, according to Robinson's website, stands about 5-foot-8 and weighs 150 pounds. He features a scar near his right eye. "Not especially handsome in the classic sense, but attractive to women," the website said. He dresses casually and distains neckties; if he wears one, it is loose, with the top button undone. Robinson listed Banks as a moderate socialist and liberal humanist; a strong anti-Thatcher thread, in fact, runs through Robinson's novels. "Banks is a bit of a maverick in that he likes to get things done his own way, but he doesn't bend the rules to [the] point of beating suspects or forging evidence against them," Robinson wrote on his website.

"He doesn't respond well to authority unless he respects the person who has the job." In a question-and-answer interview with author Michael Connelly on the Mystery Readers International website, Robinson said, "Readers are divided on the role the main character's personal life should play in crime fiction, but I've read enough puzzle-style mysteries to want a little more meat on my plate." Robinson told January 's Pierce "a fair bit" of Banks exists in the author, musical interests in particular, but added: "He's more physically astute than I am. He's a little scrapper. He's not afraid of getting down and dirty, whereas I don't like physical violence at all. I'd probably faint at the sight of blood." In an interview with Maclean's , Robinson added, "I couldn't do his job; I certainly couldn't cope with an autopsy. I don't even like him all the time." In 1989, Robinson continued the Banks series with A Necessary End , about a murder plot involving a commune, and The Hanging Valley , about separate murders and a disappearance that is possibly related. Publishers Weekly gave starred reviews to both.

Robinson departed from the Inspector Banks series when he wrote 1990's Caedmon's Song . The main character, Kirsten, is brutally attacked by a serial rapist and killer who returns for her, fearing she can identify him. It was finally published in the United States in 2004 as The First Cut . Robinson returned to the Banks series with Past Reason Hated , which involved a murder case and won the Arthur Ellis Award for best novel in 1992. Detective Constable Susan Gay joined the Banks investigation for Past Reason Hated , and became a staple in later novels. Robinson followed that novel with a slew of others, including Wednesday's Child, Final Account, Innocent Graves , and Blood at the Root , all which featured unpredictable twists. Final Account , titled Dry Bones that Dream in the United Kingdom, won an Author's Award from the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters. Robinson strayed from the Banks series for the second time when he published No Cure for Love in 1995. Publishers Weekly named Innocent Graves one of its best mysteries of 1996, and it earned Robinson his second Arthur Ellis award.

Ironically, it evolved from a failed venture, a short story that his agent disliked and his publisher said was difficult to market. "I thought I could build that earlier story into a Banks novel. Banks would be the sympathetic character, and I'd then have this other guy who's wrongly suspected of a crime. That's how Innocent Graves came about," Robinson told January Magazine 's Pierce. Not Safe after Dark and Other Stories , a Robinson short-story collection, came out in 1998; three involved Banks. In a Dry Season (1999) won an Anthony Award; in it, Robinson toggles between the present and wartime England while investigating a killing. "Robinson tells a compelling story of wartime England that rings true," Caroline Mann wrote in Library Journal . Robinson continued his rapid writing pace; he published Cold is the Grave and Aftermath in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Cold is the Grave portrays a young female runaway who is involved with murder and Internet porn, while the author takes a different tack in Aftermath , beginning his story with the arrest of a murder suspect while police answer a domestic violence call.

Robinson published Close to Home and The Summer that Never Was , both involving the finding of remains, in 2003. In 2004's Playing with Fire , Banks and old flame Annie Cabbot examine fires that killed two squatters living on canal boats—a teen drug addict and a landscape painter who fell on hard times. Banks almost died from injuries sustained in the fire. The inspector continues his recovery in the follow-up novel, 2005's Strange Affair , while traipsing to London to investigate a distress call from his brother, Roy. Robinson's next novel, 2006's Piece of My Heart , has Banks investigating the killing of a freelance music journalist, with a possible tie to another death at a Woodstock-style music festival in Yorkshire a generation earlier. Friend of the Devil was scheduled for publication in September of 2007. The story involves the killings of one woman in a wheelchair near the North Sea and another woman in a Yorkshire storeroom housing medieval artifacts. Robinson, on his personal home page, said he enjoys the flexibility of shaping the Banks character.

"The mystery novel is a great form to work in because I don't feel tied to a certain structure or a certain formula," he explained. "In Aftermath , for instance, I began with the end, and in The Summer That Never Was , I take two cases, one old and one new, and weave them together…. There are always interesting new characters in every book, so I'm not completely reliant on Banks to carry everything. And there's always plenty of crime. There's no shortage of that!" Robinson acknowledges the challenge in keeping the Banks character and series from getting stale. "A lot of writers seem to start off well for four or five books and then tend to fall off. It might be partly to do with tiring of the series character, the way Conan Doyle did with Sherlock Holmes, or it might be that they've used up the bulk of the material they had to write about. On the other hand, if you practice most things for a long time, you should improve," he told Connelly on the Mystery Readers International website. "While I try to keep up to date with news headlines and forensic advances as regards plot, I think the secret, if there is one, lies in character.

Banks has unfolded very slowly over the years, which still leaves me plenty to work with." Robinson has taught writing courses at various Toronto-area universities, and said that while he sees talent among younger writers, many of them have failed to develop it. "So many of them are more in love with the idea of being a writer than in actually writing. They think it's glamorous," he told January . The author lives in Toronto with his wife, attorney Sheila Halladay. He belongs to the International Association of Crime Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, Crime Writers' Association, and Mystery Writers of America. He returns to Yorkshire, where his family still lives, about three times per year. "I do need to smell the smells, hear the voices and see the sights, but I find I have a pretty good memory for those things and can reconstruct them all here in my study, or remodel them into the world I want to create," Robinson told Connelly. "Naturally, I have plenty of books and photos, and the local newspapers are available on the Internet." Robinson told January that a plethora of crime-fiction talent exists in Canada, but it is not well publicized.

"People are now starting to write about Toronto in a tough way, treating it as a dirtier, grungier, urban environment," he told Pierce. "So it may well be that Americans will one day accept Toronto, at least, as a crime fiction setting." Selected writings Gallows View , Viking (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1987. A Dedicated Man , Viking, 1988; Scribner (New York, NY), 1991. A Necessary End , Viking, 1989; Scribner, 1992. The Hanging Valley , The Viking, 1989; Scribner, 1992. Caedmon's Song , Viking, 1990; published as The First Cut , Perennial Dark Alley (New York, NY), 2004. Past Reason Hated , Viking, 1991; Scribner, 1993. Wednesday's Child , Viking, 1992; Scribner, 1994.

Final Account , Viking, 1994; Scribner, 1995; published as Dry Bones That Dream , Constable (London, England), 1995. No Cure for Love , Viking, 1995. Innocent Graves , Berkley (New York, NY), 1996. Blood at the Root , Avon (New York, NY), 1997. Not Safe after Dark and Other Stories , Crippen & Landru Publishers (Norfolk, VA), 1998. In a Dry Season , Avon Twilight (New York, NY), 1999. Cold is the Grave , William Morrow (New York, NY), 2000. Aftermath , William Morrow, 2001. Close to Home , William Morrow, 2003. The Summer That Never Was , McClelland & Stewart (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003. Playing with Fire , William Morrow, 2004. Strange Affair , William Morrow, 2005. A Piece of My Heart , William Morrow, 2006.

Friend of the Devil , McClelland & Stewart, 2007. Sources Library Journal , April 1, 1999, p. 131. People , March 8, 2004, p. 39. Online Derek Tunnington Jan 22, 2014 @ 3:03 am I love the Alan Banks novels. I enjoy the twists and turns and the life-like characters in the stories. Mostly however, Banks keeps me interested because I was born in Harehills, Leeds and from the age of six to thirty lived in Alwoodley Park, Leeds. I was schooled in Leeds,(Lawnswood) and was employed at Leeds University until I left for warmer climes! I hiked, cycled and motored throughout rhe Dales for most of this time and enjoy recognising places, or tryng to identify the fictional places,in the novels. That wry Yorkshire humour lightens the plots, although I fear that my own Yorkshire humour is not always understood here. I hope DCI Banks enjoys a long career! Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: Name:

Question: Which Yorkshire crime writer created the character Chief Inspector Banks?
Answer: Peter Robinson